Risotto is a speciality of Northern Italy where they grow rice instead of wheat that becomes pasta in the South. It's traditionally served in small portions as a 'primo' - a first course before the main. But when something is this delicious why restrict it to a starter?
Boxes and ingredients are packed in facilities that handles Peanut, Nuts, Sesame, Fish, Crustaceans, Milk, Egg, Mustard, Celery, Soya, Gluten and Sulphites. Due to the war in Ukraine, it has been necessary to substitute sunflower oil with rapeseed oil in some products without a label change. The FSA have advised that allergic reactions to rapeseed oil are rare.
175
Arborio Rice
1
Chicken Stock Powder
1
Onion
4
Tuscan Pork Sausage
1
Tomato Passata
1
Garlic Clove
½
Flat Leaf Parsley
15
Unsalted Butter
1
Fennel Seeds
20
Grated Hard Italian Style Cheese
(Contains Milk, Egg)
550
Water
Bring a large saucepan of water (see ingredients for amount) to the boil. Once, boiling add the stock powder and the tomato passata and stir thoroughly to dissolve the stock powder. Turn the heat to low. TIP: Keep the stock on the lowest heat to keep it hot during the whole cooking process.
Halve, peel and finely chop the onion. Peel and grate the garlic (or use a garlic press). Roughly chop the parsley (stalks and all). Remove the skin from the sausage and break the sausage meat into chunks. IMPORTANT: Remember to wash your hands and equipment after handling raw meat.
Heat a splash of olive oil in another large saucepan on medium-low heat. Add the onion and sausage chunks. Cook until the onion is soft and the sausage is no longer pink, 6-7 mins. Add the garlic. Cook for a further minute. Add the arborio rice and fennel seeds (add less fennel if you don't love the aniseedy flavour). Stir together to make sure the rice is coated in oil.
If you have some white wine in your kitchen, add a splash now. tTIP: Let the alcohol in the wine bubble off for a few minutes to mellow the flavour. If you don’t have any wine don't worry, just move right on to step 5. The risotto will still taste delicious!
Add a ladleful of the stock and passata mix to the rice and stir it in gently. Once the liquid is almost fully absorbed, add another ladleful and continue stirring. Keep adding the stock and passata mix, stirring all the time until the rice is cooked, 15-20 mins. tTIP: If you've added all the stock but the rice isn't quite there, just add a splash of water and continue cooking. IMPORTANT: The sausage meat is cooked when it is no longer pink in the middle.
Once your risotto is ready, add a splash of water if it is too thick. The ideal risotto should flow like lava! Stir in the Italian style grated hard cheese and butter. Test for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve in warm bowls with a sprinkling of parsley and eat immediately. Enjoy!